Remember
by OneShotMasta
Summary: To be in love with a thought, a memory, sounds to be absolutely inconceivable, but sometimes a memory is all we have left.


**Well, here's a one shot folks.**

**As you know Athena came in… third(?) I believe, so I'm doing her, Hera, and Calypso… the last two eventually.**

**Don't even ask how this came to me, because I have NO fucking idea. I was just taking a shower, singing in my Adele-like voice (pshhhhh righhhttt), when wham, BRAINSTORM TIME.**

**So yessssss, I hope you like? **

**Ok?**

**Ok.**

**This is based on the myth of how Athena was conceived. This isn't really a Romance!NaruxAthena, as it is more a Friendship!NaruxAthena, oh and since no one really knows what happened to Metis after Zeus swallowed her, Imma just say she somehow merged with his brain to continue to guide him.**

**And again an AU, based on a fleeting—literally I was in the shower—idea, don't like, don't read :)**

**Again, plot holes, cause well, I'm lazy, and I just wanted this out here, soooooo… :D**

**Disclaimer: I have done this so many times it's beginning to become even more tedious than me forgetting to turn in my library book… like seriously I think I owe twenty dollars.**

* * *

**Remember**

* * *

When she woke up she had _no _idea as to where she was.

All she knew was that it was dark, cold, and isolated. Her skin was slightly damp, with what she didn't know, but it smelled metallic. She licked her lips nervously, immediately regretting it when a nasty salty, copper taste overwhelmed her taste buds.

"Ew." She muttered, blinking upon hearing how her voice echoed throughout… wherever she was. Her brow crinkled upon hearing the high pitch of her tone.

She didn't know why but it just seemed... wrong.

Her face continued to scrunch in disgust, the word wrong, also seemed, well, wrong.

Shaking her head, as if to clear her thoughts, she carefully peered around, her eyes already adjusting to the dark—only to come face to face with a blob of… something.

She let out a squeak, instinctively moving into a crude fighting stance, while the person, as she was guessing from the outline, in front of her merely tilted his/her head in response. They both stared at one another for a long while, neither willing to be the first to break the eye contact or back down.

Finally though, the boy—she was able to make out his face now—brought up one of his hands, making the girl tense in preparation for the strike, "Hello." She resisted the urge to face fault.

"…"

"What's with the look Princess?" He asked, the girl continuing to glower at him.

"That's not my name." The boy made a hand gesture for her to continue, but something in the back of her mind gnawed at her, screaming at her to never let anyone take/have an advantage over her, so she said. "Why don't you tell me your name first."

"Eh," he tilted his head. "Uh, alright I guess, I'm Naruto." He offered his hand to shake.

She accepted it, but said nothing.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You don't know your name do you?"

"Well, I… no." She admitted, the 'n' word rolling harshly off her tongue.

For some reason that word tasted much like 'wrong' did, bitter.

"It's Athena."

"What?"

The feeling of surprise also felt very wrong.

"You're mother told—well transferred it to me."

The newly named Athena blinked owlishly, "My mother? Transferred?"

"Yes, you see we're kinda, sorta, maybe, in your dads mind right now."

The girl gaped, "_What?_" Yep, the feeling of shock didn't bode well with her at all. "_How?_"

The blonde shrugged, "Your dad swallowed your mom, for reasons she doesn't know, and I guess as she was dying giving birth to you, she grabbed the closest memory she could, and pretty much brought it to life."

"Wait… you're saying you're a—"

"A memory, well," he scratched the back of his head, "Yeah."

_Memory, something remembered from the past; a recollection, or the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information. _How she knew this was a mystery to her, but she ignored that fact (for now) and simply examined the boy in front of her.

He was… odd looking. She could just make out the messy shape of his hair, and the outline of his face. He was a bit on the scrawny side, with skinny arms, and narrower shoulders; his jaw was wide, and his cheeks still had their baby fat. Three parallel marks adorned each cheek, giving him a very… exotic look.

"A memory." She repeated after her examination, a little disbelievingly.

"Yes, Zeus met me when I was nine, but as you can see." He held out his hand in front of him. "I'm fading, I'm really a distant memory, and memories fade." He shook his head. "Your mother grabbed randomly at what she could to get someone to relay this message to you… gotta give her props… Enough of that though," He closed his eyes, and a cloth appeared in his hands, he held it out to her. "Here, you got… blood… like," he coughed. "Everywhere."

Xx

It was always dark in Zeus' mind, something that bothered Athena to no end.

She wanted to know, to experience, to feel, light.

When Naruto described it to her, the warmth, the security, the 'epicness' as he put it, the opposite of the darkness she knew, she only wanted to see it. To know what it was like. He'd show her glimpses through Zeus' memories, tell her about the sun, the source of the natural light.

Of the stars and how they'd light up the night. He told her about the heroes and how'd they use the stars to find their way home. How each and every constellation told a story, and how he'd remembered all of them.

The hardest thing for him to bring up was colors, as it was hard to differentiate them in the dark, but she was learning.

She knew the basics, she knew Naruto's eyes were blue.

That his hair was yellow.

That his toga was white.

She began to learn about the world outside through whatever Naruto could tell her. He'd told her he was an orphan, that both his parents died before he was born, that he'd never known them. He'd explained to her the only reason why Zeus probably sort of remembered him was because he'd given him a few drachmas and new clothes. He'd describe to her the tales of the heroes and how he someday wanted to be one—or at least hoped his real self, had become one.

"I wish I was a demigod." He'd tell her, a bright smile on his face, the twinkle in his eyes the closest thing to stars in her mind, after all, they had told her more stories than even some of his most epic tales.

The first time he told her this she'd asked, "Why?"

And he replied, "Because then I'd be somebody special."

"Aren't you already special?"

"Heh, what do you think?"

Athen peered up at him, a childish grin on her face, "I think you're special."

"Yeah, well." He gave her a wistful smile, "That makes you the only one."

After a month or so in Zeus' body she was already around the age of six—unsurprising since she was practically born at the age of four, and when Naruto learned about her unusual aging process he'd, to put it lightly, freaked.

"Are you ok?" He questioned, touching her forehead, her hands, and neck.

She pushed him off of her, huffing. "I'm fine."

"But you're like older—I mean—uh—that came out wrong you're like…" He stopped suddenly, eyes widening as the realization slowly dawned. "You're immortal." He breathed.

"What?"

"You're an immortal child." He said, looking at her up and down, eyes shining like he'd never seen her before. "That's amazing."

Athena's nose crinkled, "Immortal? I can't be immortal."

Naruto smiled, reaching forward to gently coax the skin around her nose to relax, but this only irritated her, making the skin scrunch even more. "And why not?" He laughed, poking at her nose now.

She batted his hand away, "Because I'm not pretty enough."

Naruto blinked, "What does looks have to do with anything?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Are you serious?" The young immortal crossed her arms, eyes rolling at Naruto's blank stare. "You _are _serious_?_" Her stance shifted, and the blonde inwardly winced, knowing he was in for a _lonnnngggggg _lecture. He was supposed to be the one teaching, gods damn it._ "_Looks are an important aspect in every part of society, no matter what some people say. Looks can be the difference between life and death in a war prisoner situation. Looks can make men and women both lust after you, or be so repulsed they wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole. Looks—"

"Aren't as important as what's in here." Naruto tapped the right side of her chest softly, stopping her rant midway and making her freeze. "What's beauty without a good foundation, what's looks without character?" He pulled his hand away now. "You have to stop thinking so much in here." He tapped on her head now. "And more right here." He placed a hand on her chest. "And here is where it's more important."

"… Take your hand off my breast."

"What breast?"

"…"

"…"

"I'm going to kill you."

Xx

Naruto loved to watch Athena sleep.

Weird, yes, believe him he knew.

And as if it wasn't creepy enough, when he'd watch her he began to… dream, to wish.

Before Medis had pulled him out, he was just a… replay. He'd do the same thing over and over. He'd look up at Zeus, smile hesitantly when handed clothes, and then proceed to thank the God for his generosity, pretty much blurting out his life story to the stranger, and then it'd end… then repeat over and over again.

He served no purpose except helping to expand the God's already inflated ego. Then of course, that all changed when she came.

Now he was her teacher, her companion, her friend.

He mattered to someone, and that meant more to him than his desire to be a hero.

So he didn't hesitate now, when he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

If… if only he wasn't a memory.

If only he was real.

If only his real self had met her instead of Zeus.

He bit his lip, and gently traced her cheek with his finger.

If only… If only he could age.

If only he were real.

Xx

"You look like a bird when you do that."

"Huh," Athena blinked. "What?"

"When you like realize something, your eyes get all wide."

"… You're weird."

"Thank you." Naruto grinned, "And that's another thing, comebacks." He wiggled his finger at her mockingly. "You need better ones."

"_You_ need better ones."

"See!" The blonde laughed. "That was awful, Princess."

"My comebacks take after my teacher."

"Wow, low blow… excellent." Naruto cackled, knowing that to a modern day outsider they'd make quite the pair, arguing like they did. He wiped away a fake tear, "I'm so proud."

"…" Athena rolled her eyes, "You're _so _weird."

_And you're so beautiful. _

Naruto didn't voice this thought aloud.

He was a memory after all, and memories weren't supposed to feel.

Xx

Naruto would always make up riddles for her.

He'd pull a random picture out of Zeus' head and then proceed to describe it to her, to see if she'd guess correctly. It was a fun little game that passed time. Sometimes Athena would try to outsmart him, ask him seemingly unrelated questions to get an unintentional hint out of him, but he soon learned all her little tricks.

Unfortunately though with her being so gods damn smart she'd found his weakness.

Gods damn puppy-dog eyes.

"You're supposed to be figuring out these riddles yourself."

"And you know I will eventually, so let's just make this shorter with you giving me an extra hint."

"... You're no fun."

"You telling me it's sometimes brown, black, white, or gray, and is large, is unhelpful."

"It's a good riddle."

"Yes, so good that it has over a thousand answers."

"You're exaggerating."

"Oh really." Athena raised an eyebrow.

"... Ok you win." Naruto said raising his hands, he learned long ago Athena usually tended to back up her arguments with far too long for his short attention span brain speeches/rants/explanations.

He learned to never, ever challenge Athena.

And little did he know that actually made him one of the smartest people on the planet.

Xx

It was hard to tell time in Zeus' head, with no sun, moon, or even change of lighting, they had no way of knowing how many minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or even years passed.

But what did give them a hint though, was Athena's growth.

Even though, he never would admit it Athena could tell Naruto was somewhat saddened by her aging. His tales of wishing to grow up into a valiant hero were now seemly mocking him, as he watched the young girl he knew grow up into a beautiful, and smart young woman. He watched forever in his nine year old body, as the seconds, minutes, hours, weeks, months, and years passed by.

She was beautiful, probably the most beautiful woman the blonde had ever seen. Her hair midnight black, and eyes a striking storm gray, so bright, that even in the darkness of Zeus' mind he was able to see them.

And even with their seeming age gap and height difference, Naruto still taught Athena. With her having no access to Zeus' memories like he had (something he was secretly grateful for) he was able to show her new things each day.

And the more he explained, the more Athena wanted to know what exactly all these things looked like for herself.

"Roses are the flowers of love." Naruto said, hands enclosed around Athena's—now—much larger ones, as he pictured the symbol in his mind, sharing the memory with her. "I've only seen red ones, but there are purple, pink, and even white roses…" More images flashed in his mind, sharing his (err Zeus') memories like this allowed a bond to be created between the two of them.

A bond Naruto loved to make.

"A connection of the mind is the purest love."

Naruto blinked, and looked up at Athena, who was smiling shyly at him.

"Yeah." He agreed, trying not to notice how her eyes tightened slightly when his form flickered, and how his heart leapt, when she squeezed his hand.

How could he feel like this.

How could he even feel?

He was a memory, nothing more, nothing less.

So then why?

_Why?_

Xx

He was fading, that much was obvious.

She stood in front of him as a thirty year old woman, and his heart tugged as he glanced up at her. It hurt now.

To move.

To speak.

To share.

It all hurt.

She had to help him sit up, sit down, and even sometimes sleep, she let him rest, she held his hand as when he slept, as he breathed.

It was all he could really do now, breathe, try to keep living.

He'd cough, uncertain how he a mere memory could feel such pain.

"You're more than that." Athena had said, when he'd voiced this question, the hand on his squeezed almost painfully. "Much more than that."

Xx

A hand pounded on his ribs, and stomach, and he'd awakened to Athena crying, to her clutching him to her chest, just sobbing.

His heart had stopped beating.

He had stopped breathing.

She held onto him and just cried, heart wrenching sobs that pulled on Naruto's own heart strings. He cursed at himself for being so weak, for fading.

He was forced to watch, unable to speak, as Athena screeched at Zeus, demanding him to remember. She hollered at the top of her lungs cursing at her father, screaming at him to remember him.

Naruto.

To remember Naruto.

And when the white came it hurt.

When the light came it hurt.

It lit up Zeus' mind, it revealed the outside world.

An axe handle of all things was what was seeming to be the object that opened up the gateway of light.

Athena had gaped at it.

Had reached out to touch it, her calls stopping for the time being.

"Wha—"

"P-Prince…ss…" Athena turned her head meeting her shocked gaze to Naruto's weakening blue. "G-Go."

"W-Wha—"

"Out, you'll be… able…" he pointed to the ray of yellowish-white. "Light, Pr…"

"Not without you."

Naruto took a deep breath, and again glanced up at her, eyes a mix of sorrow, and resolve. "I c-can't go, but you can."

"I won't."

"Y-You will." He said, gripping his toga, his hands shaking in pain. "J-Just… promise… y-you'll remember me."

"How would I be able to forget you?" Athena choked, looking down at her friend.

Her friend who was forever stuck in his fading nine year old body, her friend who relayed his dreams of being great, respected, fair, and loved, her friend who now mouthed the word 'go' to her now, his blue eyes—oh his eyes—locked onto her gray ones.

It was like their first meeting, both of them locked in a stubborn rematch, only this time it was Athena who finally relented. This time instead of a greeting it'd be a good bye.

"I-I…" Her voice wavered.

"Bye." Naruto offered.

Athena swallowed, leaning down to kiss his brow. "Bye." She breathed, turning her gaze back towards the light.

She looked back at the blonde for a long final moment before she let out a mighty war cry, and then after a millisecond of preparation, she leaped out of Zeus' skull.

What she didn't see was the blonde's smile fading, as well as his hand.

Xx

Athena looked down at the Manga in her hands.

A Manga that told of a boy with a whiskered face, a wild grin, and a big dream.

A Manga that told an adventure about a hero overcoming every obstacle thrown at him.

A Manga that told of everything he ever wanted to accomplish.

A Manga that told the story of Naruto, just as the title proudly exclaimed.

She looked down at the book, and couldn't help but laugh at herself bitterly.

After all.

What kind of pathetic person was in love with a memory?

* * *

**So yeah, a bit more sad than what I usually do. :/**

**But like all my oneshots there's a possibility for a sequellll. ;P I won't promise anything, but like my Hestia one, I have left enough room and wiggle space to continue.**

**How, well, I won't tell :)**

**So yes, explanation time, in case you don't understand. Naruto is a memory, a child in Greece that Zeus once helped. Metis, Athena's mother, grabbed onto a random memory and basically brought it to life so it could watch over Athena, and keep her company.**

**The Naruto we know today as the loveable manga character was created by Athena as a tribute to her friend, who wanted to be a hero, who wanted to be recognized and adored. Again, a bit different, than what I usually write, and a lot suckier, but hey—**

**I get points for originality right?**

**I'll prob come back to this later but for now, thanks for reading, faving, following, and everything else you guys do.**

**Love to you all.**

**-OSM**


End file.
